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Heart disease is increasingly claiming younger lives in rural America; here’s why
People living in rural parts of the United States live shorter lives on average than their urban counterparts, largely due to heart disease. According to a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the disparity grew massively during the pandemic when people living in rural areas had nearly as much access to screening, hospitals or even doctors for treatment. Was not there. Read on to know more.
Deaths from heart disease and stroke increased with the advent of the pandemic in 2020
More than a fifth of Americans living in rural areas live three years less than those living in cities — mostly because of heart disease and stroke, according to a new study. This disparity widened substantially between 2010 and 2022, driven by a 21 percent increase in cardiovascular deaths among working-age rural adults, according to the research published today. Journal of the American College of Cardiology noted.
Doctors say this is the first national analysis of rural heart health during COVID-19, even though deaths from heart disease and stroke increased with the arrival of the pandemic in 2020, which are declining in both rural and urban communities. Were.
“It is inexcusable for young adults anywhere in this country to experience increased cardiovascular mortality,” said Dr. Rishi Vadhera, a cardiologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and senior author of the study.
What factors are responsible for the increasing numbers in rural areas?
According to experts, the findings are not surprising cardiovascular mortality The situation in rural areas has always been poor due to a collision of factors, which include:
- drug use
- unwell
- smoking and alcohol
- limited access to care
However, the study raises questions about what is driving these growing disparities and what, if anything, can be done to prevent bleeding.
What is the reason for urban-rural divide?
For the study, the team of researchers examined death certificate data by age for more than 11 million adults. Between 2010 and 2022, cardiovascular deaths increased among people ages 25 to 64, but decreased among people 65 and older.
In rural communities, growth occurred at a faster rate, and decline occurred at a slower rate, compared to their urban counterparts. Doctors say there are various underlying risk factors, including hypertension or high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity — all of which have increased sharply among young adults over the past decade, and rural areas have been disproportionately affected.
It is also linked to systemic issues such as low health education, high unemployment and not having easy access to gyms and fresh food.
Experts say small towns and rural areas in the U.S. have also been deeply affected by the opioid crisis — leading to heart problems and deaths while people’s economic conditions worsen. Overdosage of stimulants such as methamphetamine and cocaine is also on the rise.
Covid-19 is a major cause of heart problems among youth
According to the study, COVID-19 also exacerbated other issues, leading to a 3.6 percent increase in cardiovascular mortality in urban areas between 2019 and 2022, but an 8.3 percent increase in rural areas. “The pandemic is an external stressor that has affected all of these.” The underlying social determinants are worse,” Dr Wadhera said.
Dr. Vadhera said most deaths occurred from overdoses during the pandemic as treatment resources were disrupted and people turned to drugs to cope. As COVID-19 patients overwhelm hospitals and rural areas close at record rates, hospitalization rates as well as preventive heart screenings have declined.
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